[Infowarrior] - Riot police raid birthday barbecue for 'all-night' Facebook tag

[Richard Forno]

Riot police raid birthday barbecue for 'all-night' Facebook tag
Four cars, van, helicopter storm 15-guest cookout
By Austin Modine • Get more from this author

Posted in Odds and Sods, 17th July 2009 17:44 GMT

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/17/police_raid_birthday_barbecue_facebook_invitation/

Riot police stormed a man's 30th birthday barbecue for 15 guests  
because it was advertised as an "all-night" party on Facebook.

Four police cars, a riot van, and a force helicopter were dispatched  
to a privately-owned field in a small village near Sowton, Devon in  
the UK on Saturday, ordering the party shut down or everyone would be  
arrested.

Andrew Poole, a coach driver from Sowton, said his birthday barbecue  
was busted up before they even had a chance to plug the music in,  
reports the BBC.

"What effectively the police did was come in and stop 15 people eating  
burgers," Poole said.

The event was shuttered under section 63 of the Criminal Justice and  
Public Order Act 1994, which grants police powers to remove persons  
attending or preparing for a "rave" (defined as playing amplified  
music "wholly or predominantly characterised by the emission of a  
succession of repetitive beats," during the night).

Poole said it was about 4pm when eight officers with camouflage pants  
and body armor jumped out of their vehicles and ordered everyone out  
about an hour into the party.

He claims his party was advertised on Facebook as an "all-night"  
affair in case his guests wanted to stay the night.

A police spokeswoman told the BBC the helicopter was deployed for less  
than 20 minutes, costing about £200.

"The decision to close down a rave or illegal music festival is not  
taken lightly," she said.

"On this occasion, we were extremely concerned how the event had been  
advertised on the internet as an all-night party and it was therefore  
necessary to take the appropriate steps."

The spokeswoman added if the party hadn't been stormed the officers,  
riot police and accompanying helicopter, "far more resources would  
have been used to police the event and there would have been  
considerable disruption to neighbouring properties." ®